Celt trade object in New Guinea - Kapak - Humboldt Bay - West Papua (No Reserve Price)
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Current bid
€ 51
No reserve price
Expert
Selected by Amy Wassing
Nearly 20 years' experience in Indonesian and Oceanian art with museum expertise.
Estimate € 170 - € 210
40 other people are watching this object
 Bidder 6912 | €51 | |
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Massive nephrite celt from Papua New Guinea in excellent condition, a field-collected trade object with strong provenance and a 24 cm high profile.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Massive Jade (Nephrite) Stone Celt – Trade Object – Papua New Guinea – Field Collected 1990
Description:super-sized stone celt made of fine jade (nephrite), originating from Papua New Guinea.
Such large blades were once treasured as prestige or trade objects, exchanged to seal alliances or demonstrate status. Though often called “axes,” they were mainly symbolic and never used as tools.
This impressive example measures 29 cm in length and is heavy and dense, with a deep green mineral tone and smooth polish. Collected in 1990 by Koos Knol in a small coastal hamlet — excellent field provenance and great authenticity.
A rare and important Oceanic artefact with exceptional presence.
Origin: Papua New Guinea (coastal region)
Material: Jade / Nephrite
Period: Probably 19th–early 20th century
Collected: 1990, field collection by Koos Knol
Condition: Excellent, with minor surface wear consistent with age
Dimensions: Length 29 cm; heavy
Shipping: Registered and insured
A true collector’s piece — powerful, elegant, and steeped in Oceanic history.
We pack with care, sending all over the world for 35 years already
A must have for collectors, ethnographers, ethnologists, anthropologists and museums
Sold by Koos Knol, ethnographer and anthropologist, dealer of Papua Tribal Art for more than 30 years, expert and author of the book “Papua Blues”, written in Dutch. (Maybe in English next year.) Published end of October 2024
A book about inside stories, a book that deals with the many encounters with special people in West Papua, the impressive experiences that the author has, about special encounters with men and women who tell him about secret things, about ethnographic objects and initiate him into the rituals and ceremonies.
A must have for collectors, ethnographers, ethnologists, anthropologists and museums
Google: Papua Blues Koos Knol
Seller's Story
my wife Paula van den Berg and I, Koos Tuber, both anthropologists, traveling a lot through Papua New Guinea and West Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), Solomon Islands and Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides). We love local tribal arts, we collected thousands and thousands of artifacts, all authentic, sometimes old, sometimes more recently but mainly used objects in local traditional cultures. We are happy to give more detailed information about the artifacts we sell here on Catawiki. Please feel free to contact us.
Translated by Google TranslateMassive Jade (Nephrite) Stone Celt – Trade Object – Papua New Guinea – Field Collected 1990
Description:super-sized stone celt made of fine jade (nephrite), originating from Papua New Guinea.
Such large blades were once treasured as prestige or trade objects, exchanged to seal alliances or demonstrate status. Though often called “axes,” they were mainly symbolic and never used as tools.
This impressive example measures 29 cm in length and is heavy and dense, with a deep green mineral tone and smooth polish. Collected in 1990 by Koos Knol in a small coastal hamlet — excellent field provenance and great authenticity.
A rare and important Oceanic artefact with exceptional presence.
Origin: Papua New Guinea (coastal region)
Material: Jade / Nephrite
Period: Probably 19th–early 20th century
Collected: 1990, field collection by Koos Knol
Condition: Excellent, with minor surface wear consistent with age
Dimensions: Length 29 cm; heavy
Shipping: Registered and insured
A true collector’s piece — powerful, elegant, and steeped in Oceanic history.
We pack with care, sending all over the world for 35 years already
A must have for collectors, ethnographers, ethnologists, anthropologists and museums
Sold by Koos Knol, ethnographer and anthropologist, dealer of Papua Tribal Art for more than 30 years, expert and author of the book “Papua Blues”, written in Dutch. (Maybe in English next year.) Published end of October 2024
A book about inside stories, a book that deals with the many encounters with special people in West Papua, the impressive experiences that the author has, about special encounters with men and women who tell him about secret things, about ethnographic objects and initiate him into the rituals and ceremonies.
A must have for collectors, ethnographers, ethnologists, anthropologists and museums
Google: Papua Blues Koos Knol
Seller's Story
my wife Paula van den Berg and I, Koos Tuber, both anthropologists, traveling a lot through Papua New Guinea and West Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), Solomon Islands and Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides). We love local tribal arts, we collected thousands and thousands of artifacts, all authentic, sometimes old, sometimes more recently but mainly used objects in local traditional cultures. We are happy to give more detailed information about the artifacts we sell here on Catawiki. Please feel free to contact us.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Indigenous object name
Kapak
No. of items
1
Ethnic group/ culture
Humboldt Bay
Country of Origin
West Papua
Material
jade stone
Sold with stand
No
Condition
Excellent condition
Title of artwork
Celt trade object in New Guinea
Height
24 cm
Width
7.5 cm
Depth
4 cm
Provenance
Private collection
